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Country Westerns with Matt Sweeney

 Photo: Steve Cross

Thanks to Country Westerns frontman Joseph Plunket’s gruff howl and drummer Brian Kotzur’s muscular pounding, “Knucklen’” — the opening track from this year’s Forgive the City — goes off like a mortar shell. From there the power trio, rounded out by bassist Jordan Jones, choogles its way through 11 more tracks that marry heartland rock and power pop, dialing the dynamics down for smooth-grooving, longtime set-list staple “Wait for It” and right back up for fast-moving “Cussin’ Christians.” Like Springsteen fronting The Replacements, Forgive the City is fist-pumping, blue-collar rock ’n’ roll, and one of 2023’s finest releases.

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